I-touch a Good Alternative to I-phone?

[jeffbase34]

Hey guys,

Well looks like I'm SOL on getting an I-phone. They want me to pay the maximum deposit. I really could care less about the phone part. I just want a device that connects to the internet, and allows me to play games and use the cool apps that are seen on the I-phone.

I am wondering if I-touch will give me what I want. Is it essentially an I-phone minus phone service? I was thinking I could sign up with AT&T DSL which gives me access to wifi hotspots and use the device around town that way. Then maybe this freaking company will cut me some slack when they see that I do pay my bills on time.

[Nausicaa]

I don't know, it depends.

I had the same idea last fall. I wanted an iPhone, but I knew they would be updating it this summer, so I decided to wait because the 3G didn't really have all the features I wanted. In the meantime, I bought a Touch. I loved it at first, but I quickly became frustrated with it's limitations.

Sure, it receives WiFi, but even living in a major city, there aren't that many hot spots. And on the go, it's a real pain to even have to look for them. A lot of the apps I wanted simply required iPhone features for full functionality (Mic, GPS, camera, internet, etc.).

After the initial wow factor wore off, I just didn't have it with me that often for anything but listening to music (even though I loved a lot of the games and other apps, like Brushes, I used all the time). It just wasn't worth the extra weight in my pockets.

I picked up the 32 GB 3GS when it came out, and I have since enjoyed it far more than the Touch. It has everything I want or need for an on-the-go device. Instantly updating RSS feeds and Twitter, and how email, contacts, calendar, and mobile me all work together with the phone - anywhere I am. These are the things I really needed the device for. The games and the iPod functions are just icing on the cake.

Not to mention the Touch doesn't even have the camera.

In short, if you just want an iPod, the Touch is a great device. If you're looking at it as a substitute for the iPhone, you'll probably be more than a little disappointed. It will become more of a novelty than something you use all the time. If you do get one though, wait until September or October. Most people think they'll be updating the Touch line around that time.

What do you mean they want you to pay a 'deposit' by the way? Are you already locked into a contract?

[orangecrush]

Originally Posted by jeffbase34

Hey guys,

Well looks like I'm SOL on getting an I-phone. They want me to pay the maximum deposit. I really could care less about the phone part. I just want a device that connects to the internet, and allows me to play games and use the cool apps that are seen on the I-phone.

I am wondering if I-touch will give me what I want. Is it essentially an I-phone minus phone service? I was thinking I could sign up with AT&T DSL which gives me access to wifi hotspots and use the device around town that way. Then maybe this freaking company will cut me some slack when they see that I do pay my bills on time.

If you don't care about the phone and have a way to be at wi-fi hotspots, I would go for it. We just bought an 8GB one for my wife and we have been quite impressed. Though, if you can wait until September, you will probably get another 8/16 GB for free.

[jeffbase34]

Originally Posted by Nausicaa

I don't know, it depends.

I had the same idea last fall. I wanted an iPhone, but I knew they would be updating it this summer, so I decided to wait because the 3G didn't really have all the features I wanted. In the meantime, I bought a Touch. I loved it at first, but I quickly became frustrated with it's limitations.

Sure, it receives WiFi, but even living in a major city, there aren't that many hot spots. And on the go, it's a real pain to even have to look for them. A lot of the apps I wanted simply required iPhone features for full functionality (Mic, GPS, camera, internet, etc.).

After the initial wow factor wore off, I just didn't have it with me that often for anything but listening to music (even though I loved a lot of the games and other apps, like Brushes, I used all the time). It just wasn't worth the extra weight in my pockets.

I picked up the 32 GB 3GS when it came out, and I have since enjoyed it far more than the Touch. It has everything I want or need for an on-the-go device. Instantly updating RSS feeds and Twitter, and how email, contacts, calendar, and mobile me all work together with the phone - anywhere I am. These are the things I really needed the device for. The games and the iPod functions are just icing on the cake.

Not to mention the Touch doesn't even have the camera.

In short, if you just want an iPod, the Touch is a great device. If you're looking at it as a substitute for the iPhone, you'll probably be more than a little disappointed. It will become more of a novelty than something you use all the time. If you do get one though, wait until September or October. Most people think they'll be updating the Touch line around that time.

What do you mean they want you to pay a 'deposit' by the way? Are you already locked into a contract?

I tried to purchase an I-phone online and I failed their credit check. They want a $750 up front deposit which is ridiculously high.

[Nausicaa]

Have you tried buying it in store? Preferably an Apple store? I don't know anyone who's had to pay a deposit.

One more thing I've noticed is that the 3GS has improved sound drivers and loudspeakers. I have in-ear noise canceling headphones, and the bass response is entirely dependent on the hardware source (unlike the big studio phones that amplify). I get very little bass feedback on the iTouch, but my iPhone can really kick it. It's a significant improvement.

Likewise, the loudspeaker itself is not only much louder, but much clearer. It's a perfectly acceptable makeshift stereo when there's no speakers handy. My iTouch sounds hollow and shrouded in static by comparison.

I don't know if they plan on improving this in the new Touches.

[X]

Can't you just buy an unlocked one on eBay?

[emachine12]

I have the iPod Touch but am seriously considering moving to the iPhone and switching from Verizon Wireless to AT&T.

I love my Touch and find I take it with me as much as I take my phone. But as stated before, you need to be in a Wi-Fi spot to take advantage of stuff like texts, email, web, and a bunch of other apps. Riverside, CA supposedly has free Wi-Fi in two large areas but these spots do not work 99.9% of the time.

There are also apps that are iPhone specific like CitiMobile which I would like to have so I can keep track of my finances on the go. Loopt was also iPhone specific but they now let iPod Touch users have it but you still have to enter a mobile cel phone number. Since I use apps like Skype, Twitterfon, and Loopt; it would be better if I had an iPhone. I also haven't done the 3.0 update since unemployment has left me with lmited funds. Oh, and as for Skype, my Touch only came with the basic earbuds so i have to buy another set that has a mic so I can make free Skype calls.

I'm thinking of getting an unlocked 3GS from TrueMove in Thailand (my family can get one for me) and activating that on AT&T and can get a TrueMove sim so I can avoid the high roaming charges for minutes, text, and data.

[Heat]

The first generation and second generation iPod touches were released in September, there is a good chance that the third generation of iPod touch will be released in September.

Wait a couple of months.

[Breakfast with Girls]

Originally Posted by jeffbase34

Hey guys,

Well looks like I'm SOL on getting an I-phone. They want me to pay the maximum deposit. I really could care less about the phone part. I just want a device that connects to the internet, and allows me to play games and use the cool apps that are seen on the I-phone.

They just charge an extra fee to people who spell it "I-phone" instead of iPhone. I believe Apple also does this to people who say "OS Ex" instead of "OS 10".

[GatorDeb]

Originally Posted by Breakfast with Girls

They just charge an extra fee to people who spell it "I-phone" instead of iPhone. I believe Apple also does this to people who say "OS Ex" instead of "OS 10".

please tell me people don't actually do this.

[Timber]

I love my iTouch, but if I was with AT&T I'd get an iPhone in a heartbeat. As it stands now with Verizon I'm stuck waiting for the Storm 2.

[CKMorpheus]

Dude, pay the deposit. You'll get it back in a year + interest!

[WVUMountaineers]

Originally Posted by emachine12

I have the iPod Touch but am seriously considering moving to the iPhone and switching from Verizon Wireless to AT&T.

I love my Touch and find I take it with me as much as I take my phone. But as stated before, you need to be in a Wi-Fi spot to take advantage of stuff like texts, email, web, and a bunch of other apps. Riverside, CA supposedly has free Wi-Fi in two large areas but these spots do not work 99.9% of the time.

There are also apps that are iPhone specific like CitiMobile which I would like to have so I can keep track of my finances on the go. Loopt was also iPhone specific but they now let iPod Touch users have it but you still have to enter a mobile cel phone number. Since I use apps like Skype, Twitterfon, and Loopt; it would be better if I had an iPhone. I also haven't done the 3.0 update since unemployment has left me with lmited funds. Oh, and as for Skype, my Touch only came with the basic earbuds so i have to buy another set that has a mic so I can make free Skype calls.

I'm thinking of getting an unlocked 3GS from TrueMove in Thailand (my family can get one for me) and activating that on AT&T and can get a TrueMove sim so I can avoid the high roaming charges for minutes, text, and data.

Verizon is getting some form of an I-phone sometime in the near future..I can't remember the source for sure but I think it was on ohgizmo's website a couple weeks to months ago

[al_bundy]

Verizon might get it only when they start to deploy LTE. otherwise it doesn't make sense for apple to make a CDMA iPhone.

And don't buy an iPod touch until September when the new ones come out

[Cardiff Giant]

Originally Posted by X

Can't you just buy an unlocked one on eBay?

/thread


that's what I've been saying, ebay is probably FLOODED with 3G models now that the 3GS is out, I sold my 8gb 3g for $225 when I got my 3GS (probably could have got more but it covered the cost of the upgrade so I was fine with that).

[raven56706]

i hate apple for making at&t the exclusive partner for the iphone... i want one so bad

[SDSU92]

I have a company phone and got the I-Pod Touch. It's a good alternative for the apps and has some decent functionality with WiFi. However, if you can afford the deposit in any way, why have two devices when you can have one that does it all. If you don't want to out of priniciple . . . you will be happy with your Touch purchase.

[Tommy Ceez]

If your credit is that bad I would suggest cutting back on luxury items

[Mopower]

Originally Posted by Tommy Ceez

If your credit is that bad I would suggest cutting back on luxury items

He doesn't have bad credit he doesn't have any credit. This was explained in his last thread where he whined about the same thing.

[Heat]

Originally Posted by Breakfast with Girls

They just charge an extra fee to people who spell it "I-phone" instead of iPhone. I believe Apple also does this to people who say "OS Ex" instead of "OS 10".

If they wanted people to say OS10, they should have called it OS10.

OS "ex" it is, though who really goes around talking about Apple operating systems?

For what it's worth, I was at one time on the cutting edge of Apple operating systems with System 7. And they called it System 7, not System VII. And guess what, people called it System 7.

[jeffbase34]

Originally Posted by Mopower

He doesn't have bad credit he doesn't have any credit. This was explained in his last thread where he whined about the same thing.

Lol, if more people behaved like me, our economy wouldn't be flushed down the toliet. Seriously, you think college students with 20K in CC debt is a good thing? Oh, but they can get an I-phone easily!

[Mopower]

Originally Posted by jeffbase34

Lol, if more people behaved like me, our economy wouldn't be flushed down the toliet. Seriously, you think college students with 20K in CC debt is a good thing? Oh, but they can get an I-phone easily!

No. Perhaps this is the reason you have no credit. You don't know how to use a credit card. Get a credit card. Buy shit. Pay it off every month. There in 6 months you will have a credit history. And won't be in CC debt. It's only a problem if you have no self control.

[GizmoDVD]

Give it up guys. He refuses to get a credit card and does not think he should have to give a deposit because he's a model citizen.

[jeffbase34]

Originally Posted by Mopower

No. Perhaps this is the reason you have no credit. You don't know how to use a credit card. Get a credit card. Buy shit. Pay it off every month. There in 6 months you will have a credit history. And won't be in CC debt. It's only a problem if you have no self control.

Why is that any different than buying a vehicle and paying it off on time which I've been doing for almost 2 years? The problem with CC is in our hustle and bustle society, it is easy to lose track of how much you actually spent. I would bet money that the average person doesn't save every receipt and keep track of every expense paid with a CC. The smart way to avoid debt is to only buy stuff with money you currently have.

[jeffbase34]

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD

Give it up guys. He refuses to get a credit card and does not think he should have to give a deposit because he's a model citizen.

As I mentioned in the other thread, people with no credit history who are not college students can't get a credit card. I just applied for BN.com mastercard. Denied again. I was pre approved for a Target card, and still got denied. It is a fucked up system that punishes people who are money smart.